Crave the Wave by Raquel Welch

Crave the Wave by Raquel Welch

Crave the Wave by Raquel Welch is the answer to one of the most common hair questions in the Transformations Collection: how do I get the beach waves I love without replacing all of my own hair? A clip-in hair topper — not a wig, but a top-of-head hairpiece that integrates with your existing hair — Crave the Wave adds a 7.5" x 8.25" base of gorgeous, loosely waved, heat-friendly Tru2Life® synthetic hair to the crown and top of the head, with a temple-to-temple lace front and a deep center monofilament part that creates the most natural-looking integration available at this base size. The long-lasting beach waves we all crave are so easy to achieve with this effortless clip-in topper. Temple-to-temple lace in the front and a deep mono part give you coverage and the most natural look possible. With minimal styling and blending required, you're ready to go! Four pressure-sensitive clips attach securely. Tru2Life® heat-friendly fiber can be restyled with heat tools to enhance, loosen, or redirect the waves. And at 13"–13.5" of length throughout, the waves fall generously well past the shoulder. Beautiful beach waves. Natural integration. Effortless coverage. That is Crave the Wave.

What Is a Hair Topper? (And Is It Right for You?)

A hair topper — also called a top piece or hairpiece — is a partial coverage hairpiece that covers the crown and top of the head rather than the full head. Unlike a wig, a topper integrates with the wearer's own hair, blending the topper's hair with the existing natural hair at the sides and back. Toppers are designed for wearers with thinning hair at the crown, part, or top-of-head area who want to add volume, coverage, and length without a full wig.

Crave the Wave is the right choice for wearers who have some natural hair of their own — enough at the sides and back to blend with the topper's edges — and want to add coverage, volume, and the beach wave texture at the crown and top. For wearers with complete or near-complete hair loss, a full wig provides the complete coverage that a topper cannot. Ask Angela℠ can help determine whether a topper or a full wig is the appropriate solution for your specific hair situation.

At a Glance

Not sure if Crave the Wave is the right topper for your hair situation? Use the Face Shape Analyzer to find your most flattering styles — then preview it on your own photo with the MyHairMagic virtual try-on app. Need personalized guidance on topper vs. wig, base size, or color matching? Ask Angela℠ is available 24 hours a day.

What Makes Crave the Wave Work

Temple-to-Temple Lace Front: Natural Integration at the Hairline

NameBrandWigs confirms the most important construction detail: "Temple-to-temple lace in the front." The lace front spans the full front of the base from temple to temple — individual hairs hand-sewn into ultra-fine, transparent lace that blends virtually invisibly against any skin tone at the front hairline. For a topper, the front hairline is the most visible integration point — where the topper meets the wearer's own hair or scalp. The temple-to-temple lace front creates a seamless, natural-looking front border that makes Crave the Wave look like the wearer's own hair rather than an obvious hairpiece at the most examined point of integration.

Deep Center Monofilament Part: Natural Scalp Simulation at the Part

Crave the Wave features a deep center monofilament part — individually knotted fibers on a sheer, skin-toned mesh that creates convincing natural scalp simulation at the part line. Chiquel confirms: "middle monofilament parting, lace front, wefted back." The monofilament part is what makes the crown area look like natural hair growing from a real scalp rather than a hairpiece sitting on top of the head. The "deep" quality means the monofilament part area extends beyond a minimal single-line part — creating convincing scalp simulation across a broader zone at the center part, making the integration look natural from above and at close range.

The 7.5" x 8.25" Base: Understanding Coverage

The base dimension of 7.5" long by 8.25" wide defines the coverage area Crave the Wave provides. This is a generous top-of-head base — large enough to cover most crown thinning patterns and part-line sparseness, with the lace front's temple-to-temple span providing coverage from one temple to the other across the full front width. The wefted back construction provides structure at the back of the base. For most wearers with central or top-of-head thinning, this base size provides complete coverage of the affected area with natural blending at the perimeter edges.

One WigOutlet reviewer provides an honest note: "I wish the cap were a little smaller, it's a bit more hair than I need." For wearers with minimal or localized thinning who find the 7.5" x 8.25" base more coverage than their specific situation requires, a smaller base size from the Transformations collection may be more appropriate. Ask Angela℠ can advise on the best base size for your specific hair situation before purchase.

Four Pressure-Sensitive Clips: Secure, Comfortable Attachment

Four strategically placed 1.25" pressure-sensitive clips attach Crave the Wave to the wearer's natural hair at four anchor points. Pressure-sensitive clips grip the hair gently without the aggressive clamping of standard snap clips — providing secure attachment throughout active daily wear without pulling or damaging the natural hair at the attachment sites. One Wigs.com reviewer notes using a Milano Top Grip — a soft band designed specifically for toppers — alongside the clips for additional security and to protect her bio hair at the attachment sites. This is a useful tip for wearers with fine or fragile bio hair who want additional security without added clip tension.

Tru2Life® Heat-Friendly Fiber: Style the Waves Your Way

The Wig Company provides the most precise heat-styling guidance: "240°F is perfect. Do not go above 350°F. Unlike your own hair, the fiber only sets after it cools. Pin or hold the hair in the curl shape until it's cool, then release!" This cooling note is the most important practical heat-styling instruction for Crave the Wave: the waves are locked in place not during the heat application but during cooling. The Tru2Life® fiber's style memory holds any heat-applied wave variation in place until the next wash.

From the pre-set loose beach waves, heat tools create the full range of wave variations: tighter, more defined curls with a small-barrel curling wand; looser, more flowing waves with a large-barrel wand; and sleek, smooth length with a flat iron. The pre-set is beautiful as-is and can be worn without any heat styling. Heat tools simply extend the range when a variation is desired.

Who Should Use Crave the Wave?

• Women with thinning or sparse hair at the crown, top-of-head, or part line who want to add volume, coverage, and the beach wave texture that their own hair cannot currently provide
• Wearers with mid-length to long natural hair who want to blend beach waves seamlessly with their existing hair — one WigOutlet reviewer with "mid length wavy/frizzy hair" describes using Crave the Wave specifically to cover frizzy parts and blend with the rest of her hair
• Wearers who specifically want beach wave texture that their own hair resists — one Wigs.com reviewer with naturally curly hair notes that "having wave and curl in my topper helps my bio hair blend better" — using the topper's wave character to match rather than contrast the natural texture
• Heat-styling enthusiasts who want to customize the wave tightness, looseness, or direction from the pre-set base — the Tru2Life® fiber responds to all standard heat tools for complete wave customization at 275°F–300°F
• SS Shadow Shade color devotees who want the dimensional rooted color depth of the Shaded color range — the deep monofilament part shows the darker root tones of SS colors convincingly at the part line, creating the most natural-looking rooted color integration at the crown
• Medical hair loss wearers with sufficient remaining hair at the sides and back to support clip attachment — for whom a topper provides targeted crown coverage while integrating naturally with existing hair

Color Range

Crave the Wave is available in Raquel Welch's RL and SS Shadow Shade color range for the Transformations Collection. HairToppers.com confirms SS Shadow Shade options including RL14/25SS Shaded Honey Ginger, RL12/22SS Shaded Cappuccino, and RL14/22SS Shaded Wheat. Featured colors across retailers include RL14/25 Honey Ginger, RL10/12 Sunlit Chestnut, and RL12/22SS Shaded Cappuccino.

The SS Shadow Shade colors are particularly effective in Crave the Wave's deep monofilament part: the darker root tone sits naturally at the part's scalp simulation zone — creating the convincing rooted depth that makes the color look like naturally growing hair rather than a uniformly colored hairpiece. For wearers whose own bio hair is naturally darker at the roots, an SS color in Crave the Wave provides the most seamless possible color integration at the part line.

Color matching guidance: Matching a topper to existing bio hair color is the most important and most nuanced color selection challenge for any topper purchase. The topper color should complement the wearer's own hair at the blending edges — neither dramatically lighter nor dramatically darker, with similar undertone temperature (warm vs. cool). Ask Angela℠ can provide personalized color matching guidance based on bio hair description and photos before purchase. One experienced topper buyer notes that "the color 'recipe' will vary according to the topper or wig you select" — even the same color name can appear slightly different across different Raquel Welch styles due to fiber type and texture variations.

Care & Maintenance

Crave the Wave uses Tru2Life® heat-friendly synthetic fiber. It is heat-styleable to 350°F — 240°F is the ideal setting per The Wig Company.

• Washing: Add 1 tablespoon of synthetic wig shampoo to cool water; soak 5 minutes; rinse thoroughly — incomplete rinsing dulls the fiber; gently blot with a towel — do not squeeze, twist, brush, or comb while wet
• Drying: Hang to air dry on a wig stand or hanger; a low-heat blow dryer is also confirmed as safe per The Wig Company; the fiber dries into whichever position it was last styled
• Heat styling: Always apply a heat protectant before any heat tool contact; work at 240°F–275°F for best results; pin or hold the curl shape while cooling — the fiber sets during cooling, not during heat application; do not exceed 350°F
• Clip maintenance: Check the four pressure-sensitive clips periodically for secure function; gently clean clip teeth of any bio hair or product buildup with a soft brush
• Storage: Store on a wig stand or hung on a hanger away from direct sunlight and heat sources; at 13"–13.5" of wave length, a wig stand prevents tangling between wears

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Crave the Wave a wig or a topper?
A topper — specifically a clip-in hair topper from the Raquel Welch Transformations Collection. It covers the crown and top-of-head area and integrates with existing hair, rather than covering the full head. For complete hair coverage, a full wig is the appropriate choice.

Is Crave the Wave heat friendly?
Yes. Tru2Life® fiber is heat-styleable to 350°F. The Wig Company recommends 240°F as ideal for wave setting. Always use a heat protectant. Remember: the fiber sets during cooling, not during heat — hold the wave shape while it cools before releasing.

How do the four clips attach?
Four 1.25" pressure-sensitive clips are strategically placed at the base perimeter. They clip to the wearer's own hair at four anchor points — gently and securely without clamping. For wearers with fine or fragile bio hair, a Milano Top Grip or similar topper grip accessory can supplement the clips for additional security with less tension on the attachment hair.

How do I match the color to my own hair?
Color matching is the most important pre-purchase consideration for a topper. The topper color should complement your bio hair at the blending edges — similar in base tone and undertone. SS Shadow Shade colors work well for wearers with naturally darker roots. Ask Angela℠ can provide personalized color matching guidance based on your bio hair description and photos before any purchase is made.

Is Crave the Wave suitable for complete hair loss?
No — a topper requires sufficient remaining natural hair at the sides and back to support clip attachment and blend at the base perimeter. For complete or near-complete hair loss, a full wig provides the complete coverage that a topper cannot. Ask Angela℠ can help determine the appropriate solution for your specific situation.

Explore the full Raquel Welch Transformations Collection and Signature Collection at MyHairMail.com.